1535 - 46.52.6'N x 84.24.3'W. By Matthew Maples
"Europa, Europa! What is your intention?"

            "Overtaking you!" shouted Captain Robert Vos with a wild
flourish of his hands as he informed our night watch about his recent radio
communication with the Denis Sullivan - our de-facto opponent in the race.
Just abaft the beam of our vessel hovered the green navigation light of the
Sullivan, a mere handful of miles away. As we sailed ahead we watched that
light fall more aft. It would never again be forward of us.

            In the beginning of the race, Milwaukee's large schooner, the
Denis Sullivan, had left us in their wake. Our course was similar to theirs;
to head in a more northern direction over the Keewenaw Peninsula of Lake
Superior. Unable to catch the smaller schooner, Robert changed tactics; we
would instead hug the coastline to shave off miles. Downwind, with our
studding sails, and Robert's coast-cruising navigation, we were able to
creep, mile by slow mile, alongside the Sullivan, finally overtaking her on
the morning of August 5th at about 0200.

            With dawn came stronger winds, and storm-straddled clouds
exploded like rising bread in the tropics. A shower and a squall forced us
to take our studding sails down to deck. Troublesome winds from our port
side fouled an attempt to re-set them afterwards, yet, even without them we
were then making over nine knots.  By lunch time at 1300, whitecaps created
by 20 knot winds topped waves, and our ship heeled over with them; a feeling
that had grown distant after our months of persistently calm lake sailing.

            The race climaxed as we rounded the peninsula and we were then
able to take a "straight shot" to the finish line, whereas the Sullivan
continued gybing so as not to sail downwind - a disadvantageous course for
their rig style. At 0225 we reached our fastest speed; 10.5 knots, as we
hurtled toward the finish line. The Sullivan's tacks proved to be a
liability as she could not make enough speed to make up for her ground lost
in gybing to cope with the westerly, down-wind breeze. We espied her from
behind with our binoculars, seeing her mainsail down and topsail down,
possibly to cope with the stronger winds. Finally, at the last leg of the
race, the mid-afternoon wind shifted with the Sullivan's final tack, forcing
her to sail downwind - dooming her to vanish in our wake. Meanwhile, the
Europa, surged straight on, finishing the race at 1521.

            We have no idea what the finalized race results will be once the
handicaps are factored in, but between us and the Sullivan, we had a
personal, one-on-one, real-time race from Duluth to Whitefish Point. Many of
us enjoyed coming on watch to put the binoculars to our eyes to spy on the
Sullivan and see how we were faring against the competition. A spirited
race, and one that we will have to congratulate not only ourselves and our
hard work (those studding sails!) but the crew of the Sullivan, who were
rarely a horizon ahead, or behind.